Astilbe plant named ‘Fireberry’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Astilbe  plant named ‘Fireberry’, characterized by its compact, upright and strong plant habit; strong and healthy foliage; freely and uniformly flowering habit; red purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Astilbe arendsii×Astilbe japonica.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Fireberry’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe, botanically known as Astilbe arendsii×Astilbe japonica and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fireberry’.

The new Astilbe plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Haarlem, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new strong Astilbe cultivars with attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Astilbe plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2001 in Haarlem, The Netherlands, of an unnamed Astilbe arendsii seedling selection, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed Astilbe japonica seedling selection, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Astilbe was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Haarlem, The Netherlands in 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Astilbe plant by divisions in a controlled environment in Honselersdijk, The Netherlands since the summer of 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Astilbe plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Astilbe have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fireberry’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fireberry’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and strong plant habit.     -   2. Strong and healthy foliage.     -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.     -   4. Red purple-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Astilbe differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in plant height and flowering habit as plants of the new Astilbe are more compact and more freely flowering than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Astilbe can be compared to plants of Astilbe arendsii ‘Europa’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Haarlem, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe and the cultivar Europa differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe were more compact than plants of         ‘Europa’.     -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe were more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Europa’.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Astilbe were darker in color         than flowers of plants of ‘Europa’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Astilbe, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Astilbe.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fireberry’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Fireberry’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of the upper surface of a typical leaf of ‘Fireberry’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in containers in Afferden, The Netherlands, under commercial practice in during the early summer in an outdoor nursery with day temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures ranging from 4° C. to 16° C. Plants had been growing for one year when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Astilbe arendsii×Astilbe japonica     ‘Fireberry’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed Astilbe arendsii seedling             selection, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed Astilbe japonica seedling             selection, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By divisions.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy; brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/habit.—Herbaceous perennial. Compact, upright and             strong plant habit; roughly triangular. Flowering stems and             leaves basal; dense and bushy growth habit; moderate to low             vigor. Freely and uniformly flowering with numerous flowers             on branched panicles.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate to slow; from divisions, about 28             weeks are required to produce fully-grown flowering plants.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of foliar plane).—About 17.6             cm.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of inflorescences).—About             21.9 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 24.1 cm.         -   Stem description.—Length: About 8.4 cm. Diameter: About             2 mm. Internode length: About 2.5 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to 144B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; biternately compound.         -   Leaf length (excluding petiole).—About 9.5 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 8.9 cm.         -   Lateral leaflet length.—About 2.8 cm.         -   Lateral leaflet width.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Terminal leaflet length.—About 3.2 cm.         -   Terminal leaflet width.—About 1.4 cm.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet shape.—Ovate to narrowly ovate.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet apex.—Acute.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet base.—Rounded to attenuate.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet margin.—Serrate.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet texture, upper and lower             surfaces.—Sparsely pubescent; slightly rough.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet color.—Developing leaves, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 143A. Fully expanded leaves,             upper surface: Between 139A and 147A; venation, close to             146C to 146D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Between             137A and 146A; venation, close to 144B to 144C.         -   Leaf petiole length.—About 3.9 cm.         -   Leaf petiole diameter.—About 1.5 mm.         -   Leaflet petiole length.—About 4 mm.         -   Leaflet petiole width.—About 1.5 mm.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole texture, upper and lower             surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole color, upper and lower             surfaces.—Close to 144B; at the nodes, close to 175C to             175D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type/habit.—Numerous single rotate flowers arrange on             terminal branched panicles; flowers fact upright, outward or             downward depending on position on the panicle. Panicles             conical in shape. Freely and uniformly flowering habit with             about 1,000 flowers and flower buds per inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant; sweet.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering during the             summer to late summer in The Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the             plant; flowers persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1.8 mm. Diameter: About 1.2 mm.             Shape: Broadly ovoid. Color: Close to 59C; towards the base,             close to 145B.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 10.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7.9 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 3 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl. Length: About 2 mm. Lobe width: About 1 mm. Shape:             Oblanceolate. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Developing petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 61C.             Fully expanded petals, upper and lower surfaces: Between 60D             and 61C; color becoming closer to 60D with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl, fused towards the base; campanulate calyx. Length:             About 2 mm. Width: About 0.6 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing sepals, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 145B flushed with close to 59C.             Fully expanded sepals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             145B flushed with close to 59C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 11.9 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Angle: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 144B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 0.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 145B flushed with             close to 59C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             ten; anthers basifixed. Filament length: About 1.3 mm.             Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: About 0.4 mm. Anther             color: Close to 62D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color:             Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: Two. Pistil             length: About 1.5 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma             color: Close to 61B to 61C. Style length: About 1.3 mm.             Style color: Close to 61C. Ovary color: Close to 61D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Astilbe have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astilbe. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Astilbe have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and high     temperatures of about 35° C. Plants of the new Astilbe have been     observed to be hardy to USDA Zone 5. 

1. A new and distinct Astilbe plant named ‘Fireberry’ as illustrated and described. 